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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Murders of Kombo Kolombia attributed to Los Zetas

El
Poderoso Kombo Kolombia was a young band that over the past three years
had made their name known around Monterrey, Mexico, and the surrounding
state of Nuevo León. Possessing a seemingly endless wardrobe of band
t-shirts, proclaiming themselves alternatively as El Vallenato y el
Poderoso Kombo Kolombia, or just Kombo Kolombia, the group’s members got
their name out.

The execution of 17 members of the musical group "Mighty Kombo Kolombia" happened in the context of escalating violence in that state where the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas are fighting for control of the " neoleonesa plaza."

Seventeen members of the band were kidnapped, driven to an abandoned ranch named "Estacas" located at kilometer 92 of the Monterrey-Monclova highway, approximately 300 meters from the junction to Espinazo..

They were shot. Coup de grace. Their bodies discarded into a well. One of them, luckily,
escaped and led authorities back to the horrific scene of the crime.

Funerals took place, musician friends dismissed beloved cumbias choosing to play different pantheons of the suburbs of the state capital.

The families of the musicians demanded justice from the authorities and denied that their relatives were related to a group of organized crime.

Mexican authorities yesterday announced the arrest of a person allegedly
linked to the killing of seventeen members of the musical group Kombo
Kolombia and attributed the crime to Los Zetas.

The person they detained was not directly involved in the murder of the members of the band, but he allegedly acted as a "lookout" for the criminal organization responsible for the multiple murders.

Jorge Domene Zambrano, spokesman for the northern state of Nuevo Leon, said in a Security Council press conference,

"The main line of investigation is that Los Zetas murdered them,"

The suspect was not identified except as "El Erus" (the spy), but Domene said the suspect worked as an informant for the criminal group, one of the most violent Mexican cartels.

Information provided by the State Investigation Agency (AEI) indicated the reason for slaughter of the Kombo Kolumbia is that they performed in places controlled by the Gulf cartel, a rival of Los Zetas.

Los Zetas is a group that began as an armed wing of the Gulf cartel, but split up in March 2010 with the criminal organization and since then keeps a bloody struggle for control of various regions of Mexico.

Jorge Domene, spokesman for the State Government Security, indicated suspect was arrested by the Highway Patrol after stealing a truck and being involved in a car chase on the road to Monclovia, but he was not directly involved in the actual kidnappings and murders of the musicians.

Photo: Tex

"This person has been declared to be a lookout for the organized crime group, where he was ordered to monitor a certain place without knowing in detail what was going to happen, then after finding out what had happened. He is not involved, has not participated in the murder of the band," Jorge Domene continued.

"When the informant's job of monitoring the area where the members of Kombo Kolombia were deprived of life, and after Los Zetas concluded the killing, they told him to leave."

The investigation indicates that Jose Isidro Cruz Villarreal, "El Pichilo", alleged leader
of Los Zetas in the the municipalities of El Carmen, Hidalgo and Abasolo
Mina was who orchestrated the murder of Kombo Kolombia.

Villarreal Cruz fled from prison last
February 19, 2012 in the town of Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, with thirty
prisoners, butchering 44 Gulf Cartel inmates as they were leaving.

According to the Attorney General of the State of Nuevo Leon (PGJE) on Thursday January 24 the band "was hired by a man" to perform and liven up a party at the bar "La Carreta", in the municipality of Hidalgo 35 kilometers from the metropolitan area of Monterrey.

A little before midnight on Thursday the musician's performance came to an end as the party winded down. There were about 50 people left, at 12:30 pm on Friday, an armed group composed of 10 men arrived and forced the18 members of the group in vansand took them to a ranch located in the nearby town of Mina. According to the survivor, while at that place, they were questioned about whether they belonged to "an organized criminal group" or had a relationship with drugs, and then deprive them of life.

Kombo Kolombia performed many times in nightclubs that have been linked to organized
crime, which in the past have been attacked by armed men.

Following the recent tragic
events, the State Investigation Agency collected statements from
people in the region, as well as testimonials from people recently arrested linked with the criminal organizations Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel.

In the first instances, the hypothesis was that Kombo Kolombia had been "finished off" by leaders of the Gulf Cartel (CDG) because of its close relationship with rival gangs.But
the most recent investigations are now pointing in a different direction. Versions
collected by the authority reported that Los Zetas have reprimanded musicians for playing in bars and clubs operated by the CDG in the
metropolitan area. It is what they saw as a betrayal and who paid with their life. Jose Isidro Cruz Villarreal, "El Pichilo" is thought to have been in charge of recruiting Kombo Kolombia for
the performance in the municipality of Hidalgo, and would been the
leader who led the convoy of gunmen that kidnapped the band.

The Mighty Kombo Kolombia played continuous live dates and also appeared on regional television programs. Teenage fans danced onstage with them during appearances on “El Club del Italiano,” a music and comedy show. On a Youtube video with footage from “Futbol al Día,” a local soccer program, the musicians, in band shirts, jeans and white sneakers, groove through “Va Que Va,” one of their most requested songs, with accordion, congas, drums, a horn section, electric guitars, keyboards and three back-up vocalists. As they wrapped up, the show’s host, a white-haired commentator sitting behind a laptop, put his fists in the air and excitedly shouts “Long live youth!”

This was the largest collective kidnapping since 20 tourists from Michoacan were kidnapped in Acapulco in 2010. Most of the hostages were found a month later in a mass grave. Authorities said they were confused with members of a cartel.

I'm an artist who devotes as much spare time as possible to studying the complexities of the drug war facing Mexico and the USA. It is essential to spread the word about the plight of Mexico, so I frequently post on Borderland Beat. It's true that there are many others devoted to the cause. But more people should care because such suffering should never go unnoticed and ignored. Allowing that to happen is perhaps the biggest crime of all. Feel free to email me. Adios HavanaPura@Gmail.com

Kan you f*ckin' believe this? Their deaths affect so many family members, friends and fans. I guess that is the point. Fukin' Zzzzzzzzz's! Good work, good post. Poor Kombo Kolumbia never deserved this!

Exactly my theory. First of all it is the state government that came in with the story...a week late, and it doesn't make sense. could it be? sure, but it is not Zs style, they will chop and display mass killings to send a message. these guys did not even know where to dump the bodies.

anyway you can see on my 2 kombo posts..most say CDG. though a reporter friend in N leon told me today "soon you will see the Z with black eyes after confessing" remember states are still doing presentations. so we will see.

Why aren't Mexicans going after these thugs families. That is what the Colombians did to Pablo Escobar. Hit them where it hurts. The thugs go after the families of named soldiers. Eye for an eye. Wake up.

There has been plenty of chatter pointing to los Zetas on this right from the start. This is not a brand spanking new sparkling revelation here in the least.

But I am not saying this information is necessarily gospel either. It may be. It may not be. Admittedly, It does have the feel of a quick convenient crime solving technique used so often by states (manufacturing suspects as "proof)to make ugly black bruising crimes fade faster.

Sure, the slaughter of Kombo Kolombia may not follow "Zeta M O or protocol,- not leaving a manta, and straight ahead shots." Those are 2 indications we have to go on. Not every Zeta move is marked with a manta.

And as far 'as most people on previous posts saying it is CDG.' ...ah that carries about as much weight as a Wheat Thin in my pocket. Seriously?

I have no agenda here besides this is being reported in Mexico. I'm an equal opportunity hater of drug cartels. So, I bring this news to you, simply for you to have the information for you to decide.

Just have an open mind is all I'm asking. And as Chivis says, a little out of context here, "so we'll see." We'll see something. Probably

Many in Monterrey believe it is Zetas. That is something. You might see Zetas presented with black eyes when they really deserve to be presented standing with a stake through their bodies holding them up . Black eyes still don't mean they didn't do it!

Regardless of who the killers were, this is but another example of the insanity that IS TODAYS MEXICO. Again and again,every week for years Mexicans have murdered,raped,tortured, then accept almost NO responsibility for the society or culture. Blame is placed on the USA,poverty,church,rich people, Mickey Mouse then nothing is done and its another day. The new president and the revival of the PRI must be taken as some indication of the mentality of Mexican citizens,it speaks volumes. A lawless country incapable of healing? Whats the deal with these macho narco retards constantly killing Musicians,blows the mind!

here we do not care who so much who killed. but you are very wrong when you say Zetas from the beginning. not here maybe in your country says that. see Cadereyta Jiménez for how Zetas work bodies in big group. if it is important to know it looks more gulfo. they hide bodies because they say they never kill innocents. this is my opinion and previous to the state gob saying this all newspapers here say gulfo. gulfo attempt to sequester them before this.Nuevo León

I just don't understand why a cartel would do this to innocent people. Because they are on the other people "turf" they must destroy not only a life, but a family. The fight should be between cartel to cartel, and leave everyone who is NOT a cartel member alone. This is why Mexico is complete shit.

11:04 I was born, raised, live in NL- keep up on events. They have been saying both CDG and Z depebding on when and who's opinion you're reading. That is how it has been . You just don't want it to be true, maybe?

This might say more about which way the wind is blowing,if the authorities are indeed pointing the finger at Z.It does not make sense to say Z killed them,but when did any of this shit make sense?If it wasn't the Z,with the heat this is bringing we may see another disclaimer manta?Who knows for sure,it could be anger that they played CDG bars,but this many killed and not"use it"I guess we will see in time.Whatever,look at the pain of the families,these scrubs have taken away breadwinners,fathers,sons,fuck all that"you play with fire get burned"shit.The grief of the families tells us what kind of men they were.

Should not be important that it is the Zetas today , tomorrow it will be CDG and the day beyond that , we'll be back to the beauty being innocent and that gun was fabricated, The day after that we will be back to Los Zetas. All the while ignoring the point that some assholes killed a band of 18 people. That has to stop.

I think it matters less who killed them...and more...WHY?! Even by cartel standards, this seems among the flimsiest of reasons to slaughter 19 people. How would this act of treachery be of benefit to either side? And how much do they pay their demons to commit these acts? So many questions, and no reasonable answer is possible.

This is a horrible story. Tonight American musicians are getting honored and ones in Mexico that should be appreciated for making life better from their gift of music are getting slain for some incomprehensible unfathomable reason. Mexico should be ashamed for not protecting their musicians and artists. Protect culture. Don't kill it! Cherish it!

18 bodies that a big hit zetaz would leave a manta telling why 18 bodies and you dnt think zetaz grimey asses would not want too bee recognized and feared for doing this and hanna puro- they dont leave mantas half the time but this is a mass killing of a high profiled music band z live for this im thinking zetaz trade mark is dismemberment of limbs and heads who ever did this were pussy the shot them coup de grace zetaz too mean for dat

The accordion photographed above has the name of this musical group and a big red "Z" on the side. That "Z" would have been visible to the audience with every musical riff and would have been the grossest of insults to any other cartel in the audience. They lost the mantle of neutral musician with this choice of logo. This does not make their deaths any less tragic, but it seems like they chose to affiliate with the madness instead of being just musicians.

I wrote that I actually believed this gov. theory even if it isn't those asshole Zeta's style. You haven't wanted to put it on. I think they copied CDG cause it was quicker ymi cuete dice k it had to with the well and or something and had to get on with it. it was on purpose-copycat style.